Automatic damper for chimney-flues.



J. GORRIEN. AUTOMATIC} DAMPER FOR CHIMNEY FLUES. APPLICATION FILED APR.2 1, 191s.

' Patented June 16, 1914.

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J. GORRIEN. AUTOMATIC DAMPER FOR CHIMNEY FLUES.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 21, 1913. 1,100,296, Patented June 16,1914.

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AUTOMATIC DAMPER FOB CHIMNEY-FLUES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1914.

Application filed April 21, 1913. Serial No. 762,605.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Gonnrnn, a cit1- zen of the United States, resident of Minneapolis, county of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Dampers for Chimney-Flues, of which the following is aspecification.

T he object of my invention is to provide a device applicable to any style or size of chimney flue or stack for regulating the size of the draft opening therethrough.

A further and particular object is to provide a damper device operated by wind pressure blowing from any point of the compass and closing or opening the passage in the flue proportionately to the velocity of the wind, and thereby preventing the too rapid consumption of fuel which often occurs in windy weather where no regulating means is provided.

The invention consists generally in a damper device having means exposed to the wind currents blowing from any point of the compass for automatically closing, or partially closing, the chimney flue.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a damper device embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the preferred manner of mounting the damper in the chimney flue. the open position being indicated by full lines and the closed position by dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the rod above its bearing on the damper frame, Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, illustrating a modified construction of damper.

In the drawing, 2 represents the top of the chimney.

8 are the upper rails of the damper frame, composed. preferably, of angle bars having one flange seated on the top of the chimney and the other flange extending down into the chimney flue. These bars preferably extend entirely around the top of the chimney and have depending rails 4 at each corner or at intermediate points, if preferred, with their lower portions connected by cross bars 5 and 5, forming with the rails and the upper bars 3 a skeleton frame fitting within the chimney flue. This frame is shown as rectangular in form, adapted to fit this type of chimney, but it may be made circular, if preferred, to adapt it to a chimney having that type of flue.

Upon the rails 3 I mount upwardly and inwardly curved bars 6 forming an arch over the chimney flue and having their upper ends secured to a plate 7 or other suitable means for holding the bars in alinement and centered with respect to the damper frame. The plate 7 is provided with a central opening 8 adapted to receive a rod 9 and a ball 10 is secured on said rod by means of set screws 11 and may be adjusted up or down on said rod upon loosening said set screws, and said ball has a seat in the plate 7 and forms a bearing for the rod 9 on the plate 7 allowing said rod to rock back and forth toward or from any point of the compass. The rod extends above the bearing ball 10 and is provided with a series of blades 12, projecting outwardly therefrom into the path of the currents of air, for the purpose of tilting the rod 9 when the wind pressure exceeds a predetermined velocity. Below the bearing 10 on the rod 9 I prefer to provide an adjustable counter-balance weight 18 which may be moved up and down on the rod until the desired degree of balance is obtained.

A damper 1 1 is arranged in the skeleton frame and has bearings 15 in the cross bars 5 and a weight 16 is secured to one edge of said damper for normally holding it in its vertical, open position, as indicated in Fig. 1. This damper is preferably provided with a series of openings 17 which allow the passage of the pro-ducts of combustion in the flue and these openings may be increased or decreased in size, according to the normal draft of the chimney. If the chimney has a very strong draft. then these openings may be made smaller; if a weak draft, larger. At one side of its axis the damper is provided with a bracket 18. pivotallv connected by a coupling 19, preferably S-shaped in form, to a link 20 which extends above the upper edge of the damper when open and is connected by a similar 3 coupling to the lower end of the rod 9. When, therefore, the rod is tilted by wind pressure on its 1 blades to an inclined position, the pull of the link 20 on the damper will swing it from its open or vertical position to a closed, or partially closed, position, depending upon the strength of the wind. If a high wind is blowing, then the rod 9 will be tilted to such an angle that the damper will be entirely closed. If the wind is blowing at the rate of, say, twenty or twenty-five miles an hour, then ordinarily the damper would only be partially closed to cut down the draft through the chimney. The initial movement of the lower end of the rod 9 will swing the link against the damper and aid in tilting it from its vertical position. This link will also prevent any tendency the damper might have to swing past the center and render the initial operation difficult or impossible. The universal bearing of the rod insures its movement under all conditions, no matter from which direction the Wind may be blowing. Generally with a light breeze the device would be-statio-nary, but if the velocity of the wind increases to a point where it would tend to increase the normal draft of the chimney and waste the fuel, the damper will close automatically and temporarily cut down the draft. As soon as the wind dies down, the weight of the dam per, aided by the counter-balance weight 13, will return the rod to its normal, upright position.

In Fig. 4 a modified construction is shown, which consists in providing two dampers 21, eccentrically pivoted at 22 on the bars 5 and having their inner edges pivotally connected by couplings 23 and links 24k with a loop 25. A rod 26 pivotally connects the loop 25 with a coupling corresponding to the couplings 23 carried by the lower end of the rod 9. This style of damper operates in substantially the same manner as the one previously described. The dampers, being eccentrically pivoted, will normally stand in an open position, but may be weighted if preferred.

The device may be made in various sizes, the frame being modified to fit different fines, and in various ways the details of construction may be changed and still be within the scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a flue, a damper mounted therein, a for said rod intermediate its end, whereby said rod is normally supported in substantially a vertical position and may tilt in any direction, means for transmitting motion from the lower end of the rod to the damper, and a wind blade operatively supported by the opposite end of said rod, said blade being in aposition to be operated by the wind.

2. The combination of a flue, a damper mounted therein, a rod, a universal bearing for said rod intermediate its ends, whereby said rod is normally supported in substan- 5 frame fitting therein and comprising bars adapted to rest on the top of the flue,

,. blade, said. rod depending tially a Vertical position and may tilt in any direction, means for transmitting motion from the lower end of the rod to the damper, and a plurality of wind blades operatively supported by the opposite end of said rod and arranged in angular relation to each other, whereby said blades will be exposed to the wind pressure blowing from any point of the compass.

3. The combination of a flue, a frame fitting therein, a damper mounted on the frame, crossbars connected to the frame, a plate attached to the cross-bars and having a central opening therein, a rod, a ball attached to said rod and resting in the opening in said plate, whereby Silld'lOd is normally supported in substartially a vertical position, and may tilt on said ball in any direction, means for transmitting motion from the lower end of the rod to the damper, and a wind blade operatively supported by the opposite end of the rod, said blade being in a position to be operated by the wind.

4. The combination of a flue, a frame fitting therein, a damper mounted on the frame, cross-bars connected to the frame, a plate attached to the cross-bars and having a central opening therein, a rod, a ball attached to said rod and resting in the opening in said plates, whereby said rod is normally supported in substantially a vertical position, and may tilt on said ball in any direction, a weight attached to said rod at a distance below said plate, means for transmitting motion from the lower end of the rod to the damper, and a wind blade operatiVely supported by the opposite end of the rod, said blade being in a position to be operated by the wind.

5. The combination with a .fiue, of a frame fitting therein, a damper journaled in said frame, a link pivotally connected to the damper at one side of its axis, a blade, :1 rod journaled upon said flue and pivotally connected at its lower end with said link, said pressure, said link contacting with the edge 50f said damper upon the initial movement I of per from its normal vertical position. rod, a universal bearing 3 said rod and aiding in moving said dam- 6. The combination with a flue, of a upper and provided with depending rails and 3 cross-bars connecting the lower portions of said rails across the flue, a damper journaled :near its middle portion on said cross-bars and adapted to swing from a vertical position to a horizontal closed position, the upper edge of said damper, when open, being below the open end of said flue, a blade, a rod journaled above said flue and carrying said below the journal therefor, and means pivotally connecting In witness whereof, I have hereunto set the lower end of said rod with said damper, my hand this 17th day of April, 1913.

said rod and blade being free to tilt toward any point of the compass under wind pres- JOHN GORRIEN' sure and normally occupying a substan- Witnesses:

tially vertical position with respect to said GENEVIEVE E. SORENSEN,

flue. EDWARD A. PAUL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G." 

